Day 32 – When Healing is Not Enough

Read:  John 5:1-15

Jesus healed the man by the pool of Bethesda on the Sabbath. Performing such a miracle on the Sabbath was considered a violation of the law. Jesus not only broke the law, but He also instructed the man to do the same when He told him to pick up his mat and walk. When the religious officials saw this man, they had no doubt seen sitting helplessly by the pool for 38 years they were not amazed by his sudden ability to walk. Instead, they were dismayed because he was violating the law by carrying his mat on the Sabbath.

When confronted by the religious leaders, the man responds by saying, "The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.'" The obvious questions at this point surround the miraculous healing and the man who performed it. Instead, these leaders demand to know, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?" But the man is unable to identify Jesus.

After his encounter with the religious leaders, Jesus finds the man and reminds him that he has been cured (a fact that should be obvious) and then tells the man to “stop sinning.” The man’s response is not repentance (like the woman in Samaria) or faith (like the royal official). Instead, he returns to the religious leaders and identifies Jesus as the man they are looking for. Once again we are confronted with the reality that Jesus’ miracles seem insufficient to convince people of His identity as the Messiah. The third “sign” goes unnoticed, even by the man who benefitted from it.

In this chapter, we see a picture of humanity's response to the miracle of salvation. God meets our deepest need only to be denied and betrayed. Jesus ultimately dies at the hands of the very people He came to save. Why did Jesus reveal Himself to this man the second time? Didn't He know the man would betray Him to the religious leaders? The answer is, "Yes." He revealed himself for the second time because He knew what this man needed wasn't the ability to walk, but deliverance from sin.

Just because someone has experienced the healing touch of Jesus does not mean they have accepted Him as Lord.

Savior,

Thank You for healing me. Forgive me for failing to recognize what You’ve done. Forgive me for betraying You even while You were dying to save me. Open my eyes to see Your work of grace in my life and throughout Your creation.

Amen